Phantoms Get Back on Winning Track

Shrugging off the fatigue of playing their fifth game (and fourth consecutive road game) in seven days, the Philadelphia Phantoms knocked off the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks by a 4-1 count.

The Phantoms led for most of the way, with a Mark Greig powerplay goal at 5:23 of the first period setting the pace. Vaclav Pletka and Bruno St. Jacques got the assists.

Cincinnati temporarily got the equalizer early in the second period, as a Dwayne Zinger shot deflected off the skate of Phantoms defenseman Brad Tiley.

The Phantoms soon got a lucky bounce of their own, as a attemped return feed from John Slaney to Tomas Divisek deflected off a Mighty Ducks defender into the net.

Slaney scored a more conventional goal in the last minute of the second period, ripping a shot past Ducks goalie Jason Elliot.

Midway through the third period, Guillaume Lefebvre’s second goal of the season, assisted by Slaney and Kirby Law, gave the Phantoms an extra insurance goal.

Phantoms goalie Neil Little made the lead stand up. The Phantoms were outshot 16-5 in the third period and 38-21 overall.

There were a few lineup changes for the Phantoms. Coach John Stevens dressed seven defensemen. Jason Beckett played his first game of the season, while defenseman Dan Peters and center Petr Hubacek were scratches.

The Phantoms are now off until next Friday, when they rematch with Cincinnati at the Spectrum.